The Programmer Cultivator

Chapter 438: Chapter 74: Salted Fish Guardian

Zhang Deming waved his hand. "That’s enough. How many times have I told you? There’s no need to be so formal around me."

Qin Shizhong smiled and said, "I understand."

But he remained just as respectful toward Zhang Deming, who simply shook his head. Everyone’s personality was different, so he didn’t press the issue.

’As long as he’s willing to act this way and is sincere about it... and even if he isn’t, as long as it doesn’t show, I don’t need to worry about it.’

It was perfectly normal for someone like Qin Shizhong, who had struggled for decades at the bottom, to have his own unyielding principles.

Zhang Deming looked at him and said, "Go and get ready. Your aptitude isn’t the best, so it would be wise to study the Powerful Ape Transformation and Dragon and Snake Transformation in advance and familiarize yourself with them."

Qin Shizhong replied respectfully, "I understand."

After that, Zhang Deming gave a few more instructions, and Qin Shizhong departed in a hurry. Watching his retreating back, it was easy to see how desperate he was to advance.

For that matter, which one of the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Outer Disciples in the Celestial Spirit Sect hadn’t struggled for decades just for that one slim chance?

After all, reaching the Tai Chi realm granted a lifespan of at least two hundred and fifty years—four or five hundred at its peak. Only then could one be considered to have a foot in the door of the Immortal Sect. Otherwise, you were nothing more than a prospective Stallion.

This was why Qin Shizhong always remained so respectful; he knew perfectly well the reason for his current fortune and had long since determined his place.

If he weren’t this type of person, he wouldn’t have chosen the Transformation Dao right from the start, deciding from the very beginning to ride on the coattails of the Extreme Dao.

Clear self-awareness, a keen sense of his own place, decisiveness, and the resolve to see things through once he made up his mind—these were the strengths of his character.

...

After Qin Shizhong left, Zhang Deming waved his hand to collect the package at his feet, picked up the storage pouch from the table, and went straight inside.

Once in the storage room, Zhang Deming first carefully took out the Six-Section Lotus Root. This wasn’t just a rare Two-Star advancement material.

Due to its unique properties, it could also be used as a material for Mind Path Cultivators to cultivate their Techniques.

This thing could help many a Mind Path Cultivator develop new Techniques.

Zhang Deming carefully placed the Six-Section Lotus Root into six long Jade Boxes and set them on a shelf.

Next, he took out the item that occupied the most space: the Heart-Connected Lotus Platform. Its base alone was the size of a large platter; with the lotus flower, it was at least twice as large.

This item was even more precious than the lotus root; it was a Three-Star Material.

Its applications were quite broad. It could be used for Artifact Refining—those damn monks were particularly fond of it—or as a development material for Tier Four Magic Level Mind Techniques.

’Actually, this method of brute-forcing development with materials is the orthodox path. If I didn’t have Qi Fortune and Merit, I would have no choice but to do the same, slowly grinding my way forward to achieve Mastery in a Skill.’

After preparing the platform, Zhang Deming carefully stored it away.

Only then did he take out the storage pouch and begin to inspect it carefully. He had high expectations for its contents; after all, for a core Direct Lineage Disciple from a Grotto Heaven to be so pained about losing it, there had to be something good inside.

It was a Two-Star Storage Pouch with a maximum capacity of ten cubic meters. It possessed protective measures unique to Three-Star items, though they had already been disabled.

When Zhang Deming opened the storage pouch, he was momentarily stunned. Out of ten cubic meters of space, the contents took up less than one.

’This fellow, just like me, has a habit of regularly organizing his storage pouch and keeping his valuables in the storeroom of his Cave Mansion.’

Otherwise, there was no way a Duality Great Cultivator—let alone a Disciple with connections from a Blessed Land Grotto Heaven—would have so few belongings in his storage pouch.

Furthermore, of the roughly one cubic meter of items, the bulk of it was Spirit Stones. There appeared to be about a thousand of them.

Aside from the Spirit Stones, clothing, and other miscellaneous daily necessities, there wasn’t a single Magical Artifact.

’Well, considering he was an Artifact Cultivator who life-bonded with a single Artifact, that’s understandable.’

Just as Zhang Deming finished sorting through most of the items, a humanoid puppet caught his eye.

It was a very crudely made puppet, looking as if a child had taken a piece of wood, haphazardly bound it into a human shape, and then sloppily carved it a few times.

But the moment Zhang Deming saw it, his eyes were immediately captivated. This object was actually a Three-Star Artifact.

’Hmm, it has the aura of a Magical Artifact, the presence of an Array, and a dense Power of Life that gives it the feel of a medicinal item.’

Puzzled, Zhang Deming took the object out.

Holding the crudely made puppet, Spiritual Light flickered in Zhang Deming’s eyes and Runes began to swirl within them. After a long moment, a look of delighted surprise spread across his face.

’This is...?’

’A Profound Sect Substitute Talisman?’

’A product of the Profound Sect Substitute Technique—one of the most powerful life-saving skills among the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend One Hundred and Eight Techniques—fused with the arts of the Medicine and Artifact Dao?’

’And it’s a Three-Star Artifact!’

’Doesn’t that mean that for anyone below the Three Talents Cultivator realm, having this is like gaining an extra life?’

Looking at the object, Zhang Deming was overcome with delight. No wonder the pouch was so empty, and no wonder that fellow had been so pained by the loss.

This one item alone was worth more than countless other treasures combined. This was something money couldn’t buy.

Crafting one of these not only required extremely rare materials but also had an abysmally low success rate. It could even damage the creator’s own foundation, so very few were willing to attempt it.

It followed the same principle as his own Dark Pawn skill. The difference was, his Dark Pawn could be accumulated gradually, and could even use the Blood-Sucking Vine to absorb the Vitality of others at the same cultivation level.